Cleaning up after our fur babies
I have just returned from a walk with my young labrador and feel so privileged to have so many lovely places in which to walk him safely. I especially appreciate the off-lead areas, one of which we visited today - Lake Rotomanu. What a lovely place to walk, for the dogs and for us, with spectacular views of the mountain and all the lovely bird-life. What was not so lovely was all the dog faeces left lying around the walking area. There is no excuse - if you are walking a dog, you know it is likely to poop and all you need to do is carry a bag or two. There is a bin close to the start of the Lake area near the carpark ( beach end) and there is a big bin in the new car parking area, and one down near the river mouth. I am concerned that if we dog owners do not clean-up after our dogs, they will take these privileges away from us, as the general public (walkers and runners) which use the area will complain; as they should. Please pick up your dog poo and make sure we have these wonderful dog-walking areas for all time.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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